Fishing appliance.



o. E. SGHVI'NDLER.

FISHING APPLIANGB. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1909.

PalzentedL July 5, 1910.

Wi me s;

attente? yCHARLES E. SCHINDLER, 0F VCOIDWATER, OHIO.

FISHING APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented July 5, 1910.

Application iled June' 5, 19GB. Serial No. 500,381.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. ScHIND- LER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residin at Coldwater, in the county of Mercer an State of Ohio,have invented new and useful Improvements in Fishing Appliances, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a fishing appliance designed for attachment toa fishing rod and to be employed particularly in still water fishing.

The object of the invention is to provide an electrical appliance whichwill operate, upon a pull upon the line when the fish nibbles at thebait or takes the hook, to give an electric signal of a nature toindicate the character of the bite or strike by which the fisherman willbe advised that his attention is required.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracterl which may be applied and clamped in position upon the reelseat of the' rod by the usual reel holdingmeans, and which includes anelectric lamp adapted to give one or more fiashes or glow continuouslyto indicate the character of the bite and thereby enable fishing to becarried on at night without the strain upon the eyes incident to the useof corks or floats.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a sideelevation of the device applied to the reel seat of a rod, a portion ofwhich is shown, a part of sald device appearing in section to betterillustrate the,

construction. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a crosssection through the rod showing the indicating appliance in frontelevation. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the battery casing.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a dry battery casing of suitableconstruction to contain the battery elements and to be applied inposition upon the rod, said casino' having a rear closure plate 2 inorder to affor access thereto for the purpose of renewing the batteryelements when occasion requires. This closure plate is secured inposition by fastening screws 3 and has extending therethrough a screw lfor electrically connecting said casing with one of the batteryelements. It has not been deemed necessary to show the inter`orconstruction of the battery in detail, as he internal construction mayconform to that of any of the dry batteries in common use. t The casingis fastened to a bar 5 having angularly bent engaging members 6providing terminal tongues which are adapted to engage the fixedholdingband 7 and sliding clamping band or sleeve 8 arranged as usualupon the reel seat of the butt section of the rod 9, so that the ldevicemay be applied in position in place of the reel. The forward end of thecasing is provided with a tubular extension 10 which receives aprojecting portion l1 of the other element of the battery, from which itis electrically insulated by a sleeve 12 of nonc conducting material.This tube supports the electric signal 13 shown in the present instancein the form of an incandescent lamp held within 'a socket 14: fixed tothe tube, which socket is provided with a shield i 15 partiallyinclosing the lamp and adapted to protect the same against injury.

-The device is secured in position upon the rod in the manner shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 3, and the projecting portion of the battery element 11is provided with a Contact terminal 16 adapted to be engaged by theupper end of a switch member 17 intermediately pivoted upon a cross pin18 fixed in the side portions of an inverted U-shaped bracket or yoke19. This bracket or yoke is carried by a concavo-convex supporting arm20 fixed to and rojecting from the front of the casing, an which alsocarries a U-shaped guide member 21. A rod or stem-22 is movable throughsaid guide 21 and provided with an same taut to the desired degree, topermitV outward movement of the line when the sh bites at the bait ortakes the hook, and to return the parts to normal position 1n the eventthat the fish is merely nibbling and re leases the hook.

It will be understood that the switch is connected with one of thebattery elements through the casing, stem and spring, and

loo

that upon engagement of said switch with the contact 7 extending fromthe other battery element, the battery circuit will be completed to senda current through the filament ofthe lamp, by which the latter willflash or glow. After the line is cast out, the operator may leave therod unattended in case he is lishing with several lines, or may hold therod or place it within convenient position so that he can observe thelamp 13. If the fish should nibble at the bait-ed hook one or moretimes, the successive pulls upon the line will be transmitted to thestem 22 which will move forward against the yielding resistance of thespring 26, which at the end of each pull will retract the stem; By thismeans the switch member 17 will be on each nibble and release of thehook by the fish, alternately thrown into and out of engagement with theContact l, thus causing the lamp to flash a corresponding number oftimes and indicating to the fisherman the nature of the bite or strikeupon the hook.

It, however, the sh should pull down the 25`hook` to any appreciabledegree or attempt to run ofl with the bait, the pull upon the line willcause the switch member to be held in constant engagement with thecontact so that the lamp will continuously glow, indieating to thefisherman that the fish is hooked and propermeasures should be taken toland it. z j

By means of my invention the use of bobs or floats may be dispensedwith, and the 11ecessity of employing a lamp to observe the samey atnight avoided and the constant strain of the eyes in watching vthe floatun der such conditions obviated. Furthermore, the exact nature of thebite is indicated, so that the fisherman may pull in the line at theproper time. By also adapting the device to be mounted upon the reelseat of the rod, the appliance may be easily and conveniently held inposition and maintained in proper position relative to the line tosecure a nlcety of action, as will be readily understood. Compactness isalso secured, as

the device will consume but little more space than an ordinary reel, sothat it may be carried in the pocket or packed in close compass in akit.

While I have in* the present instance shown a lamp or visual signal, itwill be understood that its equivalent in the form of a bell or otheraural signal may be employed.

I claim 1. A ishing appliance, comprising a casing having a forwardlyextending arm, a battery inclosed within the casing and havingaprojecting contact, a yoke carried by the arm, a transverse pivot pinsupported by the yoke, a. switch pivotally mounted on said pin formovement into and out of engagement with said contact, a guide upon thearm, a stem movable longitudinally of the arm and through said guide,and a coutractile spring connecting one end of said stem with the casinthe opposite end of the rem being adapte for attachment to the 2. Alishing appliance, comprising a casing having a supporting arm' and atubular portion proj ectmg therefrom, a battery disposed within andhaving one of its terminals electrically connected with the casing andhaving its other terminal projecting into and insulated from saidtubular portion and provided with a contact, a si al supported by saidtubular portion,a o e carried by the arm, a

guide also carrie by the arm, a switch pivot- CHARLES E. SCH'INDLER.

Witnesses LEWIS WESTFALL, ALvA SMITH.

